Entries tagged with: HannahCohen

Paul Weller is currently touring his 12th solo album, Saturns Pattern, and his first of two NYC stops happened on Friday (6/12) at Terminal 5. The new LP (streamable below) has been very well recieved and he didn't shy away from playing most of it at T5. For fans of Weller's long solo career, this was a real treat. For folks hoping to hear lots of songs by The Jam and The Style Council, however, there was only one scrap -- "A Town Called Malice" closed out the show.

Weller is in Toronto tonight (6/15) to play Danforth Music Hall and you can watch the show show live, online via Yahoo. It starts at 9 PM EST and an archive will be available for 24 hours after that. He'll be back in NYC on Saturday (6/20) for a sold-out show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. That show, like Terminal 5 was, will be opened by Hannah Cohen.

To celebrate the 1980-1990 period of Bob Dylan's career, ATO Records will release Bob Dylan in the 80s: Vol. 1 on March 25. The tribute compilation was put together by producers Jesse Lauter (Elvis Perkins, The Low Anthem) and Sean O'Brien (Dawes, PAPA), and features covers by Built to Spill, Deer Tick, The Hold Steady's Craig Finn, Gene Ween & Slash, Glen Hansard, Dawn Landes & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Blitzen Trapper, Yellowbirds, Ivan & Alyosha, Reggie Watts, Elvis Perkins, Lucius and more. Listen to Built to Spill's take on "Jokerman" from the compilation, with the full tracklist, below.

The new compilation will be celebrated with a record release show in NYC the day before its release at Music Hall of Williamsburg (3/24). The show will feature Dylan's music performed by some of the artists on the album, including John & Ian of Deer Tick, Elvis Perkins, Langhorne Slim, Dawn Landes, Yellowbirds, Hannah Cohen and members of Tea Leaf Green. The lineup also includes Spirit Family Reunion (who are not on the album) and "special guests." Tickets for the show go on sale Friday (2/28) at noon.

Stream Built to Spill's "Jokerman" cover with the album tracklist, below...

As mentioned, Doveman (aka Thomas Bartlett) is doing his final Burgundy Stains Session of 2012 at Le Poisson Rouge on December 13. Since we last spoke, the guests for the show have been revealed: Sandra Bernhard, Yellowbirds, Hannah Cohen, The Perennials, Craig Finn (of The Hold Steady), and Joey Arias. Tickets for that show are still available.

Craig Finn, who recently told us his favorite albums of 2012, is an especially interesting addition to the show, as most collaborators usually have a known connection to Thomas, but this is the first time The Hold Steady and Doveman getting together. As mentioned, you can also catch The Hold Steady playing Wellmont Theatre on New Year's Eve with Lucero and comedian Kurt Braunohler. Tickets for that show are still available.

Joey Arias and Doveman are also teaming up later this month for an End of the World show at Joe's Pub (12/21) with special guests Narcissister, Cornelius Loy (theramin), and the Pixie Harlots, but unfortunately that show is sold out.

Hannah Cohen, who will guest at the LPR show, released her most recent album, Child Bride, this past April via Bella Union. The album featured production by Doveman and some appearances from Sam Amidon and Rob Moose as well. The video for the title track is below. Hannah and Doveman have also already began work on her next record, and she'll be performing some new songs at the show.

As mentioned, Doveman (aka Thomas Bartlett) is doing his next Burgundy Stain Session show at NYC's Le Poisson Rouge on October 12. Those residencies always come with a slew of guests, and he's revealed that this next one will feature Owen Pallett and Dawn Landes, who according to Doveman's tweet, will be performing "from her kickass French record." The tweet also says, "More performers announced, or maybe secret, soon." Tickets for that show are still available.

Dawn Landes has a few other NYC shows in October before the LPR show with Doveman. On October 2, she'll be doing a musical/visual collaboration with Danica Novgorodoff at the Folding Chair Reading Series at 61 Local (61 Bergen St). And from October 5-9 she'll be singing at Lincoln Center in Two Hearts, the new ballet by Benjamin Millepied (who also did the choreography for Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan). The ballets also feature music by composer Nico Muhly. Tickets for all five dates are on sale now.

In related news, Hannah Cohen, whose album, Child Bride, was produced by Thomas Bartlett, just got the track, "The Crying Game," from that album remixed by Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda (who Bartlett has also worked with). You can download that remix above or stream it below. Yuka also recently produced fellow Doveman-collaborator Martha Wainwright's new album, Come Home To Mama. Martha has upcoming shows as well.

Thomas Bartlett's "Burgundy Stain Sessions" has carved out its own unique place in the NYC music scene, bringing tasteful, acclaimed songwriters together with some of the most skilled players in the city. The songwriters in the Burgundy spotlight have ranged from Beth Orton to St. Vincent to Rufus Wainwright to Glen Hansard. This night, however (last night, December 1st), seemed to be a new direction for Bartlett's ensemble, hosting Loudon Wainwright. Loudon rarely collaborates with other musicians and mostly performs solo, so the show was anticipated with cautious excitement and curiosity.

The night started out with the band quietly taking the stage, slowly melding into the opening song with a bit of a wink: Bartlett's "Drinking," which was navigated well by the group. Hannah Cohen joined as a guest vocalist on Bartlett's next song "Boy + Angel," foreshadowing her forthcoming set. Bartlett has mastered the art of making a wandering piano sound precise, and avoids musical clichés without abandoning them. He can wear many different hats on stage equally well, whether taking the reigns as lead singer or smattering notes carefully behind another.

The first guest of the night was Oren Bloedow. Bloedow is the instrumental half of Elysian Fields, but this performance focused on his abilities as a songwriter. He revealed a keen sense of well-crafted pop, in the Joe Jackson / Elvis Costello vein. But his lyrics showed a more complex sensibility, giving equal attention to the meaning and syntax of the phrasing and the actual phonetic sounds of the words themselves. This poetic nature of his songs proved to be the way in which they succeed and separate themselves from the pack. The band (which will be detailed later) provided a well-suited backdrop, displaying Bartlett's skill as the artistic equivalent of a live music A&R man.

Next up was Hannah Cohen, who just finished her debut record (with Bartlett). She played a few smooth, dreamy numbers from the forthcoming album before changing pace with a samba-ish cover of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love." Cohen shows a gift for carefully placing melodies rather than pouring out her soul. The songs are tastefully restrained, even when showing off a vocal run, ghostly and delicate. She seems a perfect candidate to work with Bartlett. Cohen sounded at her best when the arrangement was stripped down, allowing the songs to loosen and bend. It will be interesting to see where she goes as an artist in 2012 and how her debut record sounds. A video preview both morose and sexy can be seen HERE.

Before the anticipated Wainwright set, Justin Vivian Bond was invited up to perform an odd epic heartbreak ballad that challenged concepts from self-identity to deism. This seems to be a trend in how Bond builds a song, as the night's encore echoed the same conceptual structure, a "patriotic" story song that implied thoughts on sex, politics, and natural selection.

Wainwright took the stage, laughing at the fact that he was "back on Bleeker Street." (Wainwright started out here in 1968.) His set began in a rather unexpected manner, a duet with Bartlett on Frank Loesser's "More I Cannot Wish You," from Guys & Dolls. From there, however, Wainwright launched into a few of his old classics, backed seamlessly by the house band (a phrase which seems to instantly undermine their talent). First was "White Winos," a devastating song about alcoholism and his relationship with his mother, which transitioned nicely into "Dreaming," based on a quote of his mother's, "I'd rather be dreaming than living." Wainwright is the quintessential songwriter whose music is morbid under the microscope yet cheerful under a casual glance. The songs are masked in bright melodies and performed with nonchalance, but closer inspection will almost always present the listener with a sharp dissection of the human psyche. Wainwright then played "Motel Blues," (a personal favorite) and a roaring rendition of "Muse Blues" which was most "rocking" moment of the night.

The final encore brought everyone up on stage (including returning guestNorah Jones) to collaborate on an interestingly wobbly re-working of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," in keeping with the dreamy, melancholic theme of the night.

The band provided a thoughtful, dynamic backdrop for Wainwright (and all the evening's performers). Rob Moose's guitar was particularly great, at times supplying a bed of precise fingerpicking, other times creating a subtle dissonant distortion, reminiscent of his recent work with the Grammy-nominated Bon Iver. The rest of the band (Doug Wieselman on clarinet, Ray Rizzo on drums, Brad Albetta on bass) were just about all one could ever ask for in a backing band. They are well versed and experienced with the careful tactics of songwriter-accompaniment.

Bartlett revealed that this would be the last Burgundy Stain Session of 2011 but that they will be back in action early next year. They have created something that supports the musical community and promotes collaboration and songwriting. Here's hoping they continue to grow in 2012.

Allen's show, entitled "A Southern Night", is part of "the Joe's Pub New York Voices series" and happens again three times this week. All three are still on sale (11/21, 11/22 & 11/23). The singer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and producer "will feature songs from the album as well as songs that relate to the Toussaint Family." His full list of dates is below.

Performance artist, comedian and singer Justin Bond is also playing more shows, and all with Thomas Bartlett on piano. Tickets are still available for November 27 and December 04.

Thomas Bartlett, aka Doveman, also has his own show coming up, another Burgundy Stain Session. No guests are announced yet but tickets for the December 1st show are on sale. (UPDATE: Loudon Wainwright & Hannah Cohen have been added to the December 1st show)

Though penciled into the calendar at Le Poisson Rouge well in advance, Doveman's monthly salons (aka Burgundy Stain Sessions) are typically characterized by spontaneity and surprises. The cast of musicians is constantly shifting as new people are introduced and former collaborators quietly fall off the roster. Traditionally, little about the shows is scripted - at least until the latest session.

For perhaps the first time since the shows began in January, a set list lay on the floor of the stage on June 24th. Of course that doesn't mean it was strictly followed.

Thomas Bartlett (or Doveman) kicked off the show solo with a Randy Newman cover ("Real Emotional Girl"), but it wasn't long before special guest Lisa Hannigan joined in on vocals and guitar. Having collaborated with each other early last year, Hannigan and Bartlett complimented each other nicely. Hannigan may have entered into public consciousness through her part in Damien Rice's 2002 album, O, but she's clearly got enough talent and charm to do more than just the occasional backing vocals, as she demonstrated in her debut solo release in 2008.

As Hannigan's segment wound to a close, other guests started popping up to contribute everything from brand new songs to classic covers (like John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads"). Hannah Cohen (who is apparently working on an album with Bartlett), Dawn Landes, Mike Doughty (who was Bartlett's first tour-mate), Glen Hansard (named the "MVP" by Bartlett), Justin Bond, and backing band Ray Rizzo, Rob Moose, and Josh Kaufmann all made appearances before the evening was up.

As for next month's show, who knows who Bartlett will pull out of his hat. Tickets are on sale for July 29th, September 23rd and October 28th. No guests are announced on any of them yet.

The Doveman show was one of a few in NYC that week for Lisa Hannigan who also played two sold out shows at Rockwood Music Hall where she performed with a full band including John Smith who also opened with a short set of his own music. Lisa's set consisted of a number of new songs from "Passenger", as well as songs from her first album "Sea Sew". They finished with a cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". Pictures from the first Rockwood show are in this post and they continue below...

Doveman played another guest-filled show at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on Saturday night. The backing band was comprised of Brad Albetta (bass), Ben Perowsky (drums), Rob Moose (guitar, violin), and Doug Wieselman (clarinet, bass clarinet). Thomas Bartlett was joined by guests Martha wainwright, Justin Bond, Hannah Cohen (whose record Thomas is producing), Jennifer Charles of Elysian fields, Norah Jones (as advertised), Sara Quin (of Tegan and Sara), Nico Muhly, and Frames/Swell Season singer Glen Hansard. Pictures from the party are in this post.

No guests have been announced for Doveman's next shows yet, but this pats show's lineup has been the norm (read about past shows HERE and HERE), so get your tickets in advance if you want to go on May 26th or June 24th.

Meanwhile, Thomas/Doveman and Doug Wieselman will be two of the special guests at Jesse Harris's final residency show at the same venue this Tuesday night (4/26), as will the recently-added Kaki King. Tickets are still on sale.